Public Administration as an Academic Discipline

 

Originally the discipline of public administration was not strong on theory. Early public administration was marked by a concern for applying the principles of business management to a higher level of business – public affairs. The method of case study was borrowed from business schools and applied to public administration. It was a prescriptive method and it told the student what he “ought to do” and what he “should not do” in specific situations of managing of public agencies. But by and by public administration developed a theory and a method of investigation of its own.

In the 1950s it began to borrow heavily from sociology, political science, psychology, and social psychology that led to the formation of organization theory that helps to understand the nature of human organizations.

Then, the 1950s and 1960s witnessed a dramatic upsurge of professional and academic participation in comparative administration studies. Comparative administration was focused on the developing nations and the analysis of “transitional societies”. Considerable attention was paid to studies of particular areas of the world. There were detailed case-by-case examinations of administrative situations in both the developing countries and the older, established bureaucracies of the industrialized world. They developed elaborate and highly generalized models of development administration and managed to explain many development situations.

Another situation that has drawn from the management science traditions is the emergence of public policy analysis as a major branch of public administration studies. Writings on decision-making took into account economic, political, psychological, historical, and even nonrational, or irrational processes. The National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) advocates public policy analysis as one of the subject areas that should be included in any comprehensive program in administration.

An interesting development in American public administration in the late 1960s is known as the New Public Administration which was a reaction against the value-free positivism that had characterized much of American public administration thought since World War II. It reasserted the importance of normative values, particularly social justice. The disclosures of the Watergate scandals have reinforced these positions and stressed anew the importance of integrity, openness, and accountability in the conduct of public affairs. This concern for the needs of human beings in the modern world can be seen in the growth of consumer and environmental protection functions domestically, and pressure for human rights around the world.

The politics of public administration becomes increasingly interesting. Citizens, students, and scholars all round the world have come to understand the enormous impact of public administration on all of us, which is an important reason for the renaissance of their interest in public administration.

 

Ex. 2. Read the text again for understanding its main points and answer the 10 'What'-questions given below:

1) What principles were worked out in the studies of the 1880s?

2) What was seen as the model for the proper management of government?

3) What does management of all organisations involve?

4) What made scholars distinguish between business and public administration?

5) What is the difference between the two terms – business administration and public administration?

6) What was early public administration marked by?

7) What method was borrowed from business schools and applied to public administration?

8) What was comparative administration focused on?

9) What did writings on decision-making take into account?

10) What is the meaning of the word 'public' in 'public administration'?

 

Ex. 3. Now read the text for detailed information to complete the following sentences and develop the idea:

1) Management of all organizations involves ….

2) Public administration is a more general term and a more generic process ….

3) The study of public affairs will have to take into account not only management subjects common to both public and private sectors, but also ….

4) … was borrowed from business schools and applied to public administration.

5) … took into account economic, political, psychological, historical, and even nonrational or irrational processes.

6) The New Public Administration which was a reaction against the value-free positivism, reasserted ….

 

Ex.4. Answer the following questions:

1) Why were principles of business management taken as the model for public administration?

2) What suggests caution in applying business management techniques to government agencies?

3) Was the method of case study a prescriptive or a descriptive one?

4) Why was comparative administration focused on the developing nations?

5) Why should public policy analysis be included in any comprehensive program in administration?

6) What is the New Public Administration characterized by?

7) What impact does public administration have on all of us?

 

D. Post-reading Exercises

 

Language Study

 

Ex. 1. Match the words to their definitions:

1) elaborate 2) budgeting 3) domestic 4) agency 5) discipline 6) reinforce 7) academic 8) data

a) something that is very complex because it has a lot of different parts; b) a subject that is studied at colleges and universities; c) careful planning how much you are going to spend on each thing you want; d) to strengthen a feeling, situation, process or position; e) information, usually in the form of facts or statistics that you can analyse; f) activities, events, and situations that happen or exist within one particular country; g) a business which provides services for another business or an administrative organization run by a government; h) work which is done in schools, colleges and universities.

 

Ex. 2. Give synonyms to the words given below in italics or briefly explain their meaning:

1) In the studies of the 1880s and later scholars have collected an impressive body of data how best to carry out and manage routine operations.

2) Originally the discipline of public administration was not strong on theory.

3) They developed elaborate and highly generalized models of development administration.

4) The disclosures of the Watergate scandals have reinforced these positions.

5) Another innovation is the emergence of public policy analysis as a major branch of public administration studies.

6) Citizens, students, and scholars all round the world have come to understand the enormous impact of public administration on all of us.

7) Public organizations are more dependent on government allocations.

8) Writings on decision-making took into account economic, political, psychological and historical processes.

 

Ex. 3. Insert prepositions where necessary:

1) In the studies of the 1880s and later scholars have collected an impressive body … data how best to carry … and manage routine operations to gain productivity … industry.

2) The study … public affairs will have to take … account not only management subjects common … both public and private sectors but also the special environment … which the public servant has to live.

3) We are always hoping that a more peaceful solution can be worked ….

4) The method of case study was borrowed … business schools and applied … public administration.

5) Being originally not strong … theory the discipline of public administration in the 1950s began to borrow … sociology, psychology, and political science.

6) Comparative administration was focused … the developing nations and considerable attention was paid … studies … particular areas … the world.

7) The politics of public administration becomes increasingly interesting, and students and scholars all … the world have come to understand the enormous impact … public administration … all of us, which is an important reason … the renaissance of their interest … public administration.

8) Still later, scholars stressed … the differences … administration … business, or private organization, and administration … public organizations.

 

Ex. 4. What is the English for:

А	В
1) академический, учебный 2) частный, персональный 3) застраховывать(ся) 4) управление, менеджмент 5) рутина, однообразная работа 6) судебное дело, случай 7) сравнение, сопоставление 8) дорожить, ценить 9) экономическое развитие страны 10) экономика страны	1) теория принятия решений 2) государственный служащий 3) теория структуры организации 4) детальное исследование явления 5) страховая компания 6) социальная справедливость 7) анализ государственной стратегии 8) укрепить позиции 9) деловое администрирование 10) развивающиеся страны

 

Pre-discussion

 

Ex. 1. Retell the text finishing the following sentences and adding 4-5 phrases of your own:

1) The text under discussion draws our attention to …

2) The principles of scientific business management…

3) At first successful business was seen as …

4) Later scholars stressed the differences between …

5) By and by public administration developed …

 

Ex. 2. Translate into English:

1) Управление любой организацией включает: планирование деятельности и определение целей, организацию рабочего процесса, подбор и обучение персонала, принятие решений, координирование деятельности и распределение бюджета.

2) Государственные организации находятся в большей зависимости от финансовой поддержки правительства, более ограничены строгими рамками закона и больше подвержены политическим влияниям, чем бизнес организации.

3) Метод исследования конкретных случаев был предписывающим, т.к. он обучал студентов тому, что следует и не следует делать в особых ситуациях управления государственными учреждениями.

4) В 1880-х годах были разработаны научные принципы управления бизнесом, а позже эти принципы были использованы в государственном управлении.

5) Позже ученые доказали, что администрирование – это процесс, происходящий в различных организациях, независимо от того, являются ли эти организации государственными или частными. Соответственно, они сделали разграничение между администрированием бизнесом и государственным администрированием.

 

Ex. 3. Render into English:

Управление социумом многообразно. В самом широком смысле это организации общественных связей, его задачи и функции практически выполняют все государственные органы, независимо от их конкретного назначения, а также общественные объединения. В качестве объекта управления выступает все общество в целом, все варианты развивающихся в нем общественных связей. Элементом системы социального управления является также и местное самоуправление.

Социальное управление характеризуют также как государственное управление, под которым понимается специфический вид государственной деятельности, отличающийся от ее иных проявлений (законодательная, судебная, прокурорская деятельность), а также от управленческой деятельности общественных объединений и других негосударственных формирований (трудовые коллективы, коммерческие структуры и т.п.).

В системе управления присутствует определенная упорядоченность в виде иерархической структуры органов управления. К ним тесно примыкают структуры информационного обеспечения служебного процесса, вспомогательные технические; а также хозяйственные подразделения.

(Князев С.Н., 2002: 11-12)

 

E. Additional Reading